Linden Research, Inc. to Be Acquired

Blatantly stealing the headline from the Linden Lab website.

Short version. The parent of Second Life and Tilia, Linden Research Inc., will be bought by two investors, Randy Waterfield and Brad Oberwager.

Please read the original publication and let it sink in.

Reading Inara's blog it looks like these two are Good (tm) people.

So, what will they do?

First lets see what it will mean to us, the residents of Second Life?

Short and simple, nothing!

From here on remember, I have no documentation! I am 100% guessing!!

It's not like we see Mitch Kapor banging on doors all around Second Life so there is no reason to expect any different from Randy and Brad.

Linden Research Inc. is the investment vehicle for Linden Lab. That is why most of us have never heard of it. When Philip Rosedale wanted to start Second Life he walked door to door to find investors. He found a few and with that capital he could buy stuffs and rent a poor peoples apartment on Linden Street, San Francisco.

Of the original investors, I think there were five, Mitch Kapor is the one best known. (There was a Judy?) Philip had some cash with him coming from RealNetworks. The capital was combined and legal things were documented.

It's a private company. The capital was divided into owner shares and based on that the investors would receive a percentage of the profit. The shares can not be freely traded, if an investor wanted to un-invest the only way to do that is to sell the shares back to Linden Research Inc.

When profits began to flow in and the break even point was passed the employees received, besides pay, shares in the company. These shares are more limited as the investment shares. They pay out, but don't give any voting rights.

Linden Research Inc. (the money) appoints the Board of Directors of Linden Lab. These define the strategy, check accounting and appoint the CEO.

The value of the company roughly can be divided,

5% Offices

10% Hardware

15% IP rights (protected software)

70% Clients and goodwill

Add to that the value of the potential of Tilia.

Who owns the stock

80% original investors

20% (former) employees

How well is Second Life doing? There are two answers to that.

1/ The investors are making profit, they have received more as their original investment.

2/ Second Life is no longer the money maker as it used to be. Income has dropped significantly but is stable the last few years. It is making good profits.

So why then sell off to two investors?

The answer could be as simple as. A few of the original investors want their stock converted to money.

Problem is, the (book) value of Linden Research is so high that the other investors can't match that and can't (or don't want to) increase their investment. Getting a normal loan from a bank would not be a good idea.

Another, more exciting, answer could be. There are plans to do something that costs a lot of money. For instance, set up an owned cloud.

There is a risk that Randy and Brad will be doing the hedge fund thing. However, when you look at the (assumed) distribution of value, there isn't much that can be sold off and rented back (since that is what the hedge funds do, and then let it die).

Sure it's possible to sell up the competencies (IP) of running Second Life and Tilia. But that would create competition reducing the value.

Sell off Second Life as a whole would be possible. But that would scare away clients and goodwill. Nobody wants an ad during log-in or while exploring the world. Nobody wants their userdata to be exploited by some sugar mountain.

Sell off the servers, well, that will happen when our bunny knows how to tweak things and puts us all in the cloud. The servers could be rented out to Amazon and become part of the AWS cloud, or be sold to them. It's just a bunch of machines with cables around them.

What will be sold to Randy and Brad? Not sure. I find it hard to believe that all original investors will hand over their stock. Philip selling off his stake in his brainchild? No way. Can they get their hands on the stock owned by (ex) employees? Unlikely.

I have to assume that Randy and Brad will get a majority stake in Linden Research because of the word acquired and the regulatory things. They will not get complete ownership, as is reflected by the board of directors that doesn't change except that Randy and Brad will be part of it. If they had full ownership they could/ should push them out.

They key words in the publication are "to help Linden Lab achieve new heights in distribution, scale, and quality while remaining true to the original vision, creativity, and community that makes Second Life unique and special" also "continue growth and expansion".

I am sure things will change. I find it unlikely that those changes would hurt the community. It could be possible that a localized Second Life could spring up, only for one language/country on a localized, faster, cloud. Would create competition and would break up the communities but it could be a specialized world, for education, museum or training ground separate from Second Life but controlled by Linden Lab, from a distance.

From my point of view, no time to call it quits. I'm not selling of my lands.

Randy and Brad will get an account. Be Lindens, and we, as a community, will make sure they will only do good for us. We are the value of Second Life, that won't change.

Reporter Vick Forcella

20200710

Epilogue

If you talk about Bellisseria the discussion often moves towards mainland and the (lack of) attention it receives from Linden Lab.
After a number of discussions about this it becomes time to say it out loud.

Linden Lab has stopped caring for the mainland.

In the olden days, not so long ago, moles were working on improving the mainland in various ways.

They dived into the deep seas to plant weeds and set free fish. They set out routes and build an infra-structure increasing the value of the attached land. Regions appeared at places where SL sailing was difficult.

What's that with mainland?

Mainland *is* Second Life!

Mainland makes from Second Life a World! A world to explore and discover. It gives dimension, width and length. It allows people to own part of the world by buying a plot of land. It is a place to meet random people. 

Mainland can be explored, by boat, car or airplane. Try doing that on a sim.

Linden Lab and the moles used to improve things. fill a void, make it better. Make it worth exploring.

The emptiness of mainland is probably because Linden Lab has forgotten about it. They want the BIG spenders that want an expensive sim and if you can't afford a sim you have to go to Bellisseria, the poor peoples refuge.

It appears as if Linden Lab wants people to move out of mainland and move them to Bellisseria, since that is what is happening. Mainland becomes more and more a wasteland. Empty. Home for grievers.

I bet there are hundreds of completely empty mainland regions. Completely empty. Not a single prim.
Empty is empty is dead.

Long time ago at a beach I knew well, there suddenly were beach chairs, a surfboard, and a cooler with drinks. Oh, and a rezzone. Just like that. Nobody asked for it but it was suddenly there. Making that beach alive.

Editor Vick Forcella

Mainland is loved by so many, except by Linden Lab and I am so sad about that.

It is even so that some fear to talk about this. They feel forced to cheer and applaud the moles and Linden Lab.Fear to express critique about mainland.

Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against Bellisseria, I love it. But mainland is ignored and forgotten by the moles and Linden Lab. Those that claim that Bellisseria is mainland, try and buy land at Bellisseria and build a house there.

Now that I have this heavy load of my chest, thank you for reading the Bay City Post.
Send your love towards your reporters that made it possible, Thomas, Dakota, Qie and Marianne. Some love for me would be nice too. Thank you.

Editor Vick Forcella

20200708

Where Is Everybody?

Your second day in Second Life, you walk around, see houses, clubs, roads, waterways and you see nobody!

Even when you turn on the mini-map you find yourself in an empty area.

You discover some green dots, you search very hard to find them, in the sea, and they do not respond to anything. Not to chat, not to IM's, they appear being dead.

WHAT IS GOING ON???

At any given time there are about 50,000 avatars on-line. Sometimes more, sometimes less.

An unknown portion of those are the ocean dwellers, the semi dead green dots in the water. My guesstimate is that those pollute the numbers about 50%. So, take it from me, 25,000 avatars are hanging around somewhere, one of those is you (if you are on-line that is).

The ocean dwellers are avatars that serve no real purpose except to pollute the oceans. Forget about them. The more experienced people have opinions about them and these are not very positive.

Before I (try to) help with finding people let me explain why everything is empty.

It's no glitch, not a failure or a fault, that everything is empty.

This is Second Life, not meat life.

We are just hanging around and are having fun! 

That is the true purpose of Second Life.

Life is good to us.

The houses and clubs, parked boats and cars, are not real.

We don't sleep in a bed, eat bread and milk when we wake up, we don't travel to work, we don't have to work long hours in the prim mines to bring home some L$.

The houses don't serve a purpose at all!

Ok, it serves a few purposes. It's nice to log-in at a place that looks familiar, it's nice to have a bed that has various functions that don't include sleeping. But that's about it.

It's decoration!

It's like your Facebook page that you make look good so that you look good. Nice profile picture, interesting CD collection, interesting pictures, amazing interests. The same is with that house you see in Second Life. It reflects something about the owner, it's character, desires, loves and hates.

Most houses (visible from the ground) are free to enter because most like to show how nice they can decorate. When the owner arrives, apologize for being there and compliment about the decorations.

Same goes with the parked cars and boats. Decoration, but it does tell something about the owner.

The clubs, with flashing lights and disco floors, you can find all over the place are most often also just decoration, though sometimes the owners throws a party and invites friends over. The empty bars, same.

It all is decoration, because we like to be surrounded by things we like and love. Also a car costs less then high quality shoes. (yes ladies, good shoes are expensive. A wig cost less then a full furnished house) In this world we can own a house that is impossible to afford in the real world and call it home.

Nobody is there but it all tells a story about the owners.
It's a big profile page you can walk through.

Once you figure it all out you will understand, and you will purchase a plot of land and decorate it to your liking so that everybody can see what a nice person you are, because you are.

I have already explained where half the population is, those are the ocean dwellers (feel free to hate them). But where is the rest??

Well... Second Life is BIG! It's HUUUGE! It's gigantuously BIG!

If you zoom out the map to the max it still doesn't fit the screen.

So the 25,000 avatars are scattered around there somewhere.

To find them, use Search. One place to look is the Destination Guide, not a guarantee to meet people though but you'll find nicely decorated places and things to do.

Another place to Search is Events. Live Music is a great way to meet people.

Once you figure it out, you can always find people you will like. Trust me.

Reporter Vick Forcella

200406

Epilogue

Second Life is a hide-out for many people escaping from Real Life. That is today more true then ever as the world seeks new ways to be social yet keep a safe distance.

For many this world is as essential as breathing, locked inside for various reasons. (limbs, oxygen, liver, sugar etc)

Due to lack of funding people are loosing their land and houses, residents fall off this world because their home has vanished, they no longer feel at home.

I can not express how sad this is.

I hope that the ones that leave can find a new way of living without this world. I also hope that Linden Lab is being lenient towards the ones that have problems gathering the required funds.

This is not the time to ban hammer the pesky poor people.

One of the wealthiest cities in the world, New York, is digging mass graves for the poor, coffins stacked three high in trenches as long as a football field.

Strange world we live in.

You all be safe!!!

Editor Vick Forcella

200406

Group Sacrifice Inside Mount G'al

For some time now out world doesn't work the way it is intended. Crossing regions, the feed and other things are failing often lately.

Marianne McCann has identified a probable cause about a week ago. We must honour and feed Mount G'al!

For that she called out everybody she knows, even more, to join her in a special, lethal, ceremony. Following are some images and a transcript of Marianne her words. It might be shocking for some (viewer discretion is advised).

A large group of people is gathered inside Mount G'al (because LL still hasn't fixed the lethality of Mount G'al despite my ticket).

Marianne McCann (alive)

In awe we see Marianne dressed in a ceremonial cloak and a burning, smoking, hat on her head.

[12:00] Marianne McCann shouts: My friends, we live in dark times.

[12:00] Marianne McCann shouts: We are gathered this day, atop Mt G'al to do our solemn duty.

[12:00] Marianne McCann shouts: As it was written in the days of Phil, by esteemed explorer Magellan Linden, sacrifices must be made regularly at Mt G'al, lest the Grid face Her wrath.

[12:01] Marianne McCann shouts: The nearby infohub, and New Citizens Incorporated have supplied and prepared fresh noobs for years for this very purpose.

[12:01] Marianne McCann shouts: We live in a time where a great gridquake has seen the continent of Bellisaria rise from beneath the void sea, delivering the promise of new life -- and new noobs -- upon the grid.

[12:01] Marianne McCann shouts: The Great Volcano Goddess, G'al hungers in anticipation — and she rages, finding her fiery stomach, so far, empty.

[12:01] Marianne McCann shakes her arms to highlight her point

The volcano rumbles, the earth beneath our feet trembles.

[12:02] Marianne McCann: Our teleports fail, our region crossings are brutish, and we often find ourselves lost to the grid when we log in.

[12:02] Marianne McCann shouts: Some of us even end up logged out, for no reason, just a few minutes after we enter the world.

[12:03] Marianne McCann shouts: Even now, as we meet this day, the Second Life feeds fail us, leaving us unable to share this glorious moment.

[12:03] Marianne McCann shouts: The skies appear darker, and the stars themselves are like black hole suns.

The volcano rumbles louder, we almost fall due to the trembling.

Tish (Laetizia Coronet) calls out, from her helicopter far above, not to jump and drink tea.

[12:03] Marianne McCann shouts: The Enhancement of our environment is making it difficult to enjoy the wind in our light.

[12:04] Marianne McCann shouts: Today, we meet for the Greater Good!

[12:04] Marianne McCann: The Greater Good!

The group chants loudly "The Greater Good!", "The Greater Good!", "The Greater Good!"

[12:04] Marianne McCann shouts: To each of you assembled here today, I must call upon you to make the ultimate sacrifice for the safety of the Grid -- and take a flying leap!

As in trance we see Marianne jump into the lava....and vanish.... many follow....

[12:05] Marianne McCann left chat range.

[12:05] Vick Forcella: Oh my

[12:05] Robin Sojourner left chat range.

[12:05] Second Life: You died and have been teleported to your home location

[12:05] Second Life: Teleport completed from Mahulu

[12:05] Silvia Hooker (SilviaHedley) left chat range.

Radar

[12:05] T. J. Hooker (ThomasHooker) left chat range.

[12:05] Karin (Karin Sixpence) left chat range.

[12:05] Nivaya Barbosa left chat range.

[12:05] Evola Courtois left chat range.

[12:05] Yeya Zuta left chat range.

[12:05] Anne McMinnar left chat range.

[12:05] Gemma Morland (Gemma Bodenhall) left chat range.

[12:05] Sylvia Templeton Broek (Sylvia Tamalyn) left chat range.

[12:05] Kennylex Luckless left chat range.

[12:05] Vian Magic left chat range.

[12:05] Ik9. (Irishk9 Aeon) left chat range.

[12:05] Dakota Schwade left chat range.

[12:05] Solo Anatra left chat range.

[12:05] Frankie Lindman left chat range.

Solo Anatra made another sacrifice. She went to the Toxic Taco.

For a more complete transcript you can visit Sylvia Tamalyn her Flickr page.

Now that so many have given Mount G'al the ultimate sacrifice we can expect our world to become normal again soon.

Edit to add number one

Check out the sacrifice of Belle Mistwallow.  Jumping into a volcano can be art.

Edit to add number two

Tish (Laetizia Coronet) while hovering, in great danger, above Mount G'al made the following tweet:

"Taking huge risks, the SNG Military Police tried to stop members of the G'al sect from jumping into Mount G'al. Sadly, they blindly followed cult leader Marianne McCann to their death"

Tish attempting to save cult members

 

Reporter Vick Forcella

Images Solo Anatra, Sylvia Tamalyn, Yeya Zuta, Laetizia Coronet, Vick Forcella

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